Blast! Another Galaxy Note Is Having Battery Issues

In a case of terrible timing -- Samsung's about to promise that the Galaxy Note 8 won't be as explosive as the Note 7 -- FedEx Supply Chain is recalling more than 10,000 batteries (some of which were counterfeit) it sent out with refurbished Galaxy Note 4 phones, because of an overheating issue.

Fortunately for Note 4 owners, the fix is rather simple, though it will take their phablets out of commission for a moment.

Credit: SamsungAccording to the recall notice published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC), the only batteries at risk are those "placed into refurbished AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cellphones by FedEx Supply Chain and distributed as replacement phones through AT&T’s Insurance program." Some of these recalled replacement batteries, according to FedEx and Samsung, are counterfeit, and can feature flaws that lead to overheating.

A Samsung spokesperson told Tom's Guide that "FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit. The refurbishment program was managed by FedEx Supply Chain and operated independently of Samsung."

The USCPSC memo notes recommends that users stop using the recalled battery immediately, and wait for a replacement battery. FedEx will be contacting those affected directly, and sending out a new battery which will be flagged with a green dot to signify that it is safe to use.

If FedEx doesn't contact you directly, call them at 800-338-0163 between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm ET Monday through Friday or online at www.exchangemybattery.com.

The Note 4 may be three years old, but the recalled batteries show that the device is still getting used, as the affected units were sent between December 2016 and April 2017.

This recall comes almost exactly a year after the infamous Galaxy Note 7 debacle, in which Samsung shut down all sales of its flagship phablet due to explosive batteries that were literally burning users.

Samsung is expected to announce the Note 8 on August 23 at a media event. Stay tuned to Tom's Guide for the latest on the highly anticipated handset -- which hopefully won't be hot in the same way its predecessors were.